Kate’s Club, a nonprofit supporting kids and teens who’ve experienced the death of a parent or sibling, asked VOX to bring the Mic to their Clubhouse. They wrote, drew and sang about living with grief. (To invite VOX to bring the mic to your organization, click here.)

Untitled Song – Click here for the video

By Malakai Brown, 15 (melody) and Wayne Brown, 18 (rap)

(melody)

They tell me That it’s alright

They tell me go ‘head and cry

They tell me that it’s ok to grieve

just let it out

it’s alright if you scream

oh they tell me that you’re in a better place

but I still feel that sorrow

They tell me that you’re still in my heart

though I know that we’re still apart

Oh oh every night I think of you

when I’m feelin’ sad I don’t know what to do

Oh oh If I think about it hard

enough I can still hear your

voice in the air

Know how to get me  X2

(rap)

My journey is like an adventure. Grief is everywhere. Everywhere.

But you don’t know me ‘cus

My life is like an adventure

Da grief is everywhere

And it’ll always be right there

Like sittin’ in a chair

It may not be fair

Ya don’t have ta care

And I’m grieving

So don’t stare

You don’t know me

So don’t throw me

And they always tryna know me

I’m Scared

By Lilian Dixon, 15

“I’m scared to get close and I have being alone I long for that feeling to not feel at all the higher I get the lower I sink I can’t drown my demons they know how to swim”

• Bring me the Horizon

I’m scared to get close to people because I’m scared they could leave me in the future. I feel like I’m alone sometimes, and I hate it. I just wish I could stop feeling sometimes. I simply can’t get rid of my negative thought because they know how to swim — meaning they’re there no matter what.

Taking the Burden  

By R.F., 13

People say that nothing you did affected what happened. That there was nothing you could do or say that would have changed the outcome. But for me, I don’t think that is all true. The tiniest things can stay with people for a long time. Maybe, if they had expressed something was wrong and not just had a straight face, I would have responded differently and acted other ways. Just because I said this, I don’t believe thinking it was maybe of a fraction my doing is a terrible thing. Now (I) react differently to what people say and do my best to keep everyone happy and take the burden off them a bit. I don’t mind not being paid attention to a lot or being yelled at because maybe they just need to vent some stuff, and that is all right.

Kate’s Club’s fourth annual Memory Walk 2015 will be this Sunday, Nov. 15, at Piedmont Park for kids, teens and families. Details and registration are online at katesclub.org.